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Abbotsley Blog

More work on the driveway project

8/11/2020

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Planting the two dark red Camelai japonica 'C. M. Hovey's at the top of the drive to join the mature one and the amelanchias and form a screen between the houses turned out to be a bigger job than originally expected. It seemed to be a good time to do something about a retaining wall and more Coldstream toppings and then we had the bright idea to use some of the spotted gum logs that had been cut down in the back garden earlier this year.

Great idea - and its nice to have grown your own building materials on-site - but they are very heavy. Bringing each block down the hill and then installing in in place was absolutely exhausting!

But look at the way it turned out - very satisfying :)
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Picture
Picture
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Rusty Garden Ball sculpture

11/10/2020

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More cleaning up and mulching around the new feature sculpture delivered by Fiona from rustygardenballs.com. Now for the planting around it as soon as we're out of lockdown and can get the plants.
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden sculpture, October 2020
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden sculpture, October 2020
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Planting the Jacaranda

16/8/2020

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The cleanup of the ivy and jasmine jungle along the drive was completed back in May and, as we're coming to the end of winter, its time to think about replanting.

First off is the Jacaranda mimosifolia which will be the prominent feature of this area. The warming climage should suit  the jacaranda and we're looking forward to its purple-blue foliage in early summer.

​In time it should spread to form a canopy over the drive and surrounding garden bed but for now - it looks a bit lonely.

Whilst it the whole area looks bare at the moment, in a couple of years the houses should start to recede into the background again as the new gardens become established.
Picture
Picture
So, what next? At the moment, we're thinking of a combination of rhododentrons, camelias and azalias along the lines of this photoshop concept. The colours are yet to be decided and are very likely to be different to these.
Abbotsley drive garden replancing, August 2020_concept 1
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Visitors to Abbotsley this week

17/7/2020

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​

​The ​Eastern Whipbird has been cracking its whip in our garden all winter but the King Parrots have joined us more recently.
Eastern Whipbird Abbotsley garden, July 2020Picture
Eastern Whipbird Abbotsley garden, July 2020Picture
King Parrot, Abbotsley garden, July 2020Picture
King Parrot, Abbotsley garden, July 2020Picture
King Parrot, Abbotsley garden, July 2020Picture
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Big cleanup along the drive

3/5/2020

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It was Beth and Colin at Littlewood next door who started the project. Along the strip of garden between our driveways was a jungle of ivy and jasmine creepers draped over and mixture of dead and living cotoneasters. It's been a project that needed attention for the past 10 years but we never got around to it.
So now we're restricted by CoVID19 to what we can do and where we can go, what better than to roll up our sleeves and get into this so that its all ready for replanting next spring?
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, before the driveway cleanup May 2020
Before
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, driveway cleanup May 2020
After (well not really 'After' but well on the way - a bit more to go by the creek and then the back-breaking work of digging up the roots!)
Moutains of green waste to get rid of - time to call Sam at Surburban Skips!
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, driveway cleanup May 2020
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, driveway cleanup May 2020
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, driveway cleanup May 2020
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The garden is loving this weather

27/2/2020

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Beautiful bloom amongst the lush green.
Abbotsley Garden, February 2020
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Its only been a year but look at the growth...

5/11/2019

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A year ago, I posted "The Back Garden Project is Complete" and added, "Now we wait for it to grow!" And grow it has. After a month of weekends getting the spring weeding under control and then a weekend of heavy rain, its looking very lush.
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden 5th November 2019_1
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden, October 2018_1ber-2018-01_orig.jpgPicture
October 2018
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden 5th November 2019_2Picture
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden 5th November 2019_3Picture
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden, October 2018_2
October 2018
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden, October 2018_3
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden 5th November 2019_4Picture
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden 5th November 2019_5Picture
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsely back garden, October 2018
October 2018
And the cabbage tree in front of the house - which makes such a mess for most of the year, and can only really be appreciated from the back garden looking over the house - is amazing at this time of year when its in full flower.
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley back garden 5th November 2019_6Picture
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Beautiful late spring colour amongst the lush green

27/10/2019

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When one crabapple's blossum ends, other one begins. This one always puts on a late show when the others have finished!
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​The new 'Plum Gorgeous' and 'Blonde 'n' Gorgeous' Loropetalums will really add to the display in a few years years' time.
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 27 October 2019_1
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 27 October 2019_2
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 27 October 2019_3
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 27 October 2019_4
The smoke bushes are coming along nicely and the echiums are stunning this year.
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 27 October 2019_5
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A chilly first day of October

1/10/2019

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At three degrees outside, It may be the coldest start to an October day for 35 years but the sun is out, the amalanchiers and crabapples are in blossom and the azaleas and camelias are flowering. What a beautiful morning at Abbotsley!
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 1 October 2019_1
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 1 October 2019_2
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley garden, 1 October 2019_3
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New Driveway

10/9/2019

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Following the great success at Downderry and Mousehole in getting their driveways resurfaced last month, Karyn and Chris along with residents from The Barn, Devon Cottage, Wimborne and Badgers Wood decided to have their driveways re-surfaced with Coldstream toppings all on the same day thus sharing the contractor's material delivery and equipment rental costs. Abbotsley was first off the mark and the biggest job.
Bickleigh Vale, Abbotsley - new driveway September 2019
Here's how it happened...
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    Chris and Karyn, Abbotsley homeowners since December 2010

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